Scotland: Bluesticks Lose To Wales In Close Encounter

Scotland men lose close match to Wales in Euro qualifiers while Switzerland beat Gibraltar

Scotland 0-1 Wales

Scotland men were defeated 1-0 by Wales in a very close match in Men’s EuroHockey Qualifier D in Uddingston. Wales top the table on six points with one game left to play.

It was a very competitive opening quarter in the match with both sides working hard to produce a great contest in the early stages.

The first chance of the match went to Scotland. A slick three pass move between Lee Morton; Callum Duke and Alan Forsyth gave Struan Walker a half chance, but his deflected effort went just wide of the target.

Early in the second quarter Wales had a penalty corner opportunity but it was well deflected over the bar by a Scottish stick. Then Jamie Golden came close when he dove at the ball to hook a shot goal ward, but it looped just over the bar.

Wales took the lead when Gareth Furlong fired home a low penalty corner against the back board to make it 1-0.

Right on the half time hooter Golden was denied by a great save to stop his drag flick finding the top corner.

Alan Forsyth came close with a deflected effort early in the second half but the Welsh block resulted in a penalty corner. Golden stepped up to strike it and a good save low to the left denied the equaliser.

Walker was denied when he unleashed a powerful effort towards goal as the Blue Sticks went on the hunt for an equaliser; the keeper’s pads were a match to it.

Scotland threw everything at Wales in the final quarter, and came close to scoring, but Wales held strong to claim the victory and top the table.

Switzerland 7-2 Gibraltar

Elias Bonnimann struck four times in a 7-2 victory for Switzerland against Gibraltar in Men’s EuroHockey Qualifier D.

Gibraltar’s Eric Abudarham represented his country after a 12 years, having missed yesterday’s game through serving a suspension issued 12 years ago.

Switzerland took the lead early doors through a sensational drag flick into the top left corner by Loris Grandchamp.

The game was in full flow and Gibraltar soon equalised with a drag flick down the middle into the roof of the net.

Jonas Winkler put Switzerland back in front with a drag flick into the bottom left corner.

Gibraltar equalised again through a drive across the bassline on the left and Julian Hernandez managed to slip the ball across the line for 2-2.

The Swiss issued a near carbon copy of the previous Gibraltar goal; an attack down the baseline resulted in an Elias Bronnimann lob over the goalkeeper for 3-2.

Early in the second half a Switzerland powerful pass into the D deflected high into the net for 4-2 by Patrik Krusi, which was quickly followed up by another goal for Bronnimann after a lovely exchange in the D for 5-2.

It was 6-2 before long after Bronnimann bagged his hat-trick, and then in the final stages of the match Bronnimann fired home his fourth and his team’s seventh of the contest.